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UPDATE: Lifts running as Heavenly Mountain Resort opens 2017-18 season (video)

UPDATE 10:20 a.m.

The lifts are running at Heavenly Mountain Resort.

UPDATE 9:45 a.m.

It will likely be another 40 – 45 minutes until the lifts are operating at Heavenly Mountain Resort.

UPDATE

Heavenly Mountain Resort is experiencing a slight delay in opening. The chairs on Tamarack are reportedly iced over and not ready. Crews are working to get the lifts fired up as soon as possible.

ORIGINAL POST: Heavenly Mountain receives a foot of new snow ahead of opening day (video)

When skiers and riders hop off the lift during opening day at Heavenly Mountain Resort today, they will be greeted by a fresh foot of snow.

Heavenly received 12 inches of snow in 24 hours, the resort reported just after 7:30 a.m. Friday. That bumped the 48-hour total to 23 inches of snow.

A massive line of excited skiers and riders in Heavenly Village could be seen from U.S. 50 just before 8 a.m. Friday. One person told the Tribune he arrived at 7 a.m. to try and get a top spot in line. There were 28 people ahead of him. The resort is officially slated to open at 9 a.m.

The fresh powder comes thanks to an atmospheric river that dumped several feet of snow at higher elevations this week. Mount Rose ski resort reported on Thursday that it received more than 3 feet of snow. Lake level saw mostly rain through the week, which triggered a flood watch warning.

With its opening today, Heavenly joins a handful of other Tahoe-Truckee resorts that have already kicked off the 2017-18 season.

Mount Rose was the area’s first resort to open, with a pair of days on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28. It opened for daily operations on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Boreal Mountain Resort became the first in California to open for the winter season on Wednesday, Nov. 8.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort is planning to open on Nov. 22, followed by Northstar California Resort on Thanksgiving Day. Sierra-at-Tahoe has yet to publicly set a season opening date. Squaw Valley opens today.

According to Heavenly’s website, two of the 28 lifts and two of the 97 trails will be open today. Overall, that translated to 1 percent of Heavenly’s terrain.

Tribune sports editor Bill Rozak is reporting from Heavenly Mountain Resort. Read about the 13 ways he knows that he is ready for the ski season to start.


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